MANY NURSING PROGRAMS have implemented

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1 ORIGINAL ARTICLES A COMPARISON OF SECOND-DEGREE BACCALAUREATE AND TRADITIONAL-BACCALAUREATE NEW GRADUATE RNS: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE WORKFORCE CAROL S. BREWER, PHD, RN, CHRISTINE T. KOVNER, PHD, RN, FAAN, SHAKTHI POORNIMA, MS, SUSAN FAIRCHILD, MPH, HONGSOO KIM, PHD, RN, AND MAJA DJUKIC, MS, RN The purpose of this study was to describe the differences between traditional-baccalaureate graduates (s) who had a baccalaureate degree in nursing and no other academic degree or diploma and second-degree baccalaureate graduates (SDGs) who had both a baccalaureate degree in nursing and a baccalaureate or higher degree in a field other than nursing. Using a sample of 953 newly licensed registered nurses (NLRNs), we compared SDGs and s on demographic and work characteristics, including attitudes toward work, intent to stay in their current job, and whether they are searching for a job. s worked slightly more hours per week and were more likely to provide direct care. SDGs were more likely to plan to stay indefinitely in their first job and were less uncertain of plans to stay. SDGs experienced higher family work conflict and lower workgroup cohesion. Full-time SDGs earn over $2,700 more income per year. Potential explanations for the salary difference are the greater human capital that SDGs bring to the job and their older age. Understanding the workforce productivity of these two groups is important for both organizational planning and policy for recruitment and retention. (Index words: New graduates; Second-degree nurses; Newly licensed registered nurses; Turnover; Satisfaction; Orientation; Retention) J Prof Nurs 25:5 14, Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Associate Professor, University at Buffalo School of Nursing, Buffalo, NY. Professor, New York University College of Nursing, New York NY. Research Assistant, University at Buffalo Department of Linguistics, Buffalo, NY. Project Director, New York University College of Nursing, New York, NY. Assistant Professor, New York University College of Nursing, New York, NY. Student Worker, New York University College of Nursing, New York, NY. Funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Address correspondence to Dr. Brewer: Associate Professor, University at Buffalo School of Nursing, Buffalo, 918 Kimball Tower, NY s: /$ - see front matter MANY NURSING PROGRAMS have implemented second-degree and other postbaccalaureate firstprofessional degree nursing programs. These programs have grown from the first accelerated second-degree program at St. Louis University about 35 years ago (Ward, Bosco, & Styles, 2003) to40programsin1991 to about 200 today (Curtis, 2006), and more are in the planning stages (American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), 2005). Programs receiving the most attention are accelerated or fast-track programs, in particular accelerated baccalaureate degree programs. Postbaccalaureate first-professional Journal of Professional Nursing, Vol 25, No. 1 (January February), 2009: pp Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi: /j.profnurs

2 6 BREWER ET AL degree programs include second-baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degree programs. These programs generally include all of the nursing classes and clinical experiences that are in traditional baccalaureate programs (AACN, 2005). Many second-degree programs have two tracks. In one track, second-degree students behave as if they were transfer students who were obtaining a second major. These students proceed in their course work similarly to traditional students. Students in the other track, often called accelerated or fast track, proceed at an accelerated pace, often with a cohort. Accelerated programs have full-time intense instruction with a heavy credit count, generally without any breaks such as summer vacation that traditional students have (AACN, 2005). Accelerated programs sometimes include Web-based instruction, and this delivery method has been found to be effective for students in these programs (Kearns, Shoaf, & Summery, 2004). Finally, students in an accelerated program believed that although clinical experiences were the most overwhelming part of their education, it was also where they learned the best (Pellico, 2004). Although there is some anecdotal information about second-degree students who are considered to be bright, motivated, involved, older, and hold higher expectations for their education and often plan to get a graduate degree (AACN, 2005), there is little quantitative published data (Curtis, 2006; Ward et al., 2003). There is no research on large, randomly selected, representative samples of practicing second-degree RNs. Literature Review Not enough is known about the similarities and differences between traditional undergraduate program graduates (s) and second-degree graduates (SDGs). Some differences as students have been shown. When compared with other students, second-degree students are older and more responsible, had difficulty with students who were satisfied with meeting minimal academic expectations, preferred courses that involved hard sciences, and were eager to earn a living wage (Sheil & Wassem, 1994). It has also been reported that SDGs (Cangelosi, 2007; Ward et al., 2003) and accelerated students are highly motivated and focused on their goals. Several studies have indicated that the length of the program (1 2 years) is an important factor in attracting students (Cangelosi, 2007; Sheil & Wassem, 1994; Wu & Connelly, 1992). Wu and Connelly (1992) described second-degree baccalaureate students from a sample of 10 colleges (n = 166) as older than traditional students and as having biology, psychology, languages, and sociology as the most common college majors. Top reasons for the students to enroll in these programs were employment opportunities, financial stability, and upward mobility (Sheil & Wassem, 1994; Wu & Connelly, 1992). Toth, Dobratz, and Boni (1998) found no differences between traditional students and second-degree students in their attitudes about nursing (N = 388). Bentley (2006) found no significance in National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) pass rates between accelerated and traditional students, with the former having a higher pass rate than the traditional students. In contrast, McDonald (1995) found, in comparing traditional and accelerated students, that students in accelerated programs scored higher in nursing performance and on the NCLEX. It has also been reported that the second-degree students (Cangelosi, 2007; Ward et al., 2003) and accelerated students (McDonald, 1995) are highly motivated and focused on their goals. We have not found any studies of differences between second-degree RNs and traditional degree RNs as new practicing RNs, although there is a considerable amount of literature on new graduates. Hayes and Graf (2006) reviewed the literature on new graduate RNs and described clinical preferences for maternal child and medical and surgical units, as well as unrealistic expectations and frustration with inability to deliver holistic care as well as incomplete socialization. Eventual development of coping strategies and role mastery develops. However, some new RNs have inevitably left either their employers or the profession in frustration before they have developed adequate coping skills and role mastery. Winter-Collins and McDaniel (2000) emphasized the need for extra mentoring and nurturing needed by the new graduate RN to confidently experience the work setting. New graduate RNs feel uncomfortable and unconfident after being hired and find deficiency in skills and knowledge to be their primary difficulties during role transition (Casey, Fink, Krugman, & Propst, 2004) and may be required to take on the demands of leadership roles too early in their careers resulting in lowered self-concept (Cowin & Hengstberger- Sims, 2006). The demands of early required leadership and skill development may lead to new RNs experiencing multiple discursive dissonance, which means conflict between these demands (as codified in the discourses or written standards and documents used to judge new graduates) and their ability to grow and respond (Hamilton, 2005). New RNs' understanding of leadership expectations, ability to get work accomplished, and ability to manage the demands of the job increases with time; this adjustment period can take between 18 months and 1 year (Halfer & Graf, 2006; Hayes et al., 2006; Jones & Johnston,. New RNs with significant work experience in other areas may react like other new graduates or conversely rise more easily to a challenge. One benefit second-degree students may have is their greater maturity and experience in the workforce. This could give them some coping advantages in the period immediately after graduation. However, Oermann and Garvin (2002), in a small study of 46 new graduate RNs in three hospitals, 20 of whom were new bachelor of science in nursing graduates, did not find any differences based on the type of nursing program that graduates had completed on the amount of stress they experienced in their first year of work. The study also did not find any significant relationships between the degree of stress and the graduate's age, months of experience as a new graduate, and years of past work experience. Parker, Plank, and Hegney (2003), in a large Australian study of

3 A COMPARISON OF SECOND-DEGREE BACCALAUREATE AND TRADITIONAL-BACCALAUREATE NEW GRADUATE RNs 7 Table 1. Personal Attitudes of NLRNs (n = 953) Scale Work family conflict (Frone, Yardley, & Markel, Family work conflict (Frone et al., Positive affectivity (Watson & Tellegen, 1985) Negative affectivity (Watson & Tellegen, 1985) Work motivation (Gurney, 1990) Definition and Example Degree to which an employee's job interferes with his or her family life, e.g., How often does (did) your job interfere with your responsibilities at home, such as yard work, cooking, cleaning, repairs, shopping, paying the bills, or child care? Degree to which an employee's family life interferes with his or her job, e.g., How often does (did) your homelife interfere with your responsibilities at work, such as getting to work on time, accomplishing daily tasks, or working overtime? Degree of the individual's affirmative mood, e.g., I live a very interesting life. Degree of the individual's negative mood, e.g., Often I get irritated at minor annoyances. Degree to which work is central to an employee's life, e.g., The most important things that happen in life involve work. Possible Range 1=never to 5=five or more days per week 1=never to 5=five or more days per week 5=strongly 5=strongly 5=strongly Scale item Life is worth living only when people get absorbed in work dropped. α SDG n = 309 M (SD) n = 691 M (SD) (1.27) (0.78) (0.64) (0.88) (0.71) (1.19) (0.66) (0.70) (0.86) (0.72) t(df) = value t(947) = 0.47 t(946) = 2.21 t(948) = 2.85 t(948) = 2.25 t(947) = 1.63 P RNs (N = 1,477), found that RNs with more experience generally thought that the adequacy of support for new RNs was better than new graduates did. Understanding the differences between second-degree and baccalaureate RNs is useful because of the potential policy implications. A second-degree RN can be educated in much less time than a generic RN, but because the SDGs are older, they do not have as long of a potential work career. Understanding which group is more productive in the workforce will help design service payback requirements and financial support. Understanding how SDGs compare with s will help organizations design recruitment and retention programs for each group. For example, Buerhaus, Donelan, Ulrich, Norman, and Dittus (2006) found that the recruitment strategy that most new RNs perceived to be the most effective was providing tuition benefits. However, it is unclear if second-degree RNs, who have probably been in school for about 5 to 8 years, are equally interested. Good orientation is important in retention, but tailoring these programs to the SDG may be important in retention (Almada, Carafoli, Flattery, French, & McNamara, 2004; Altier & Krsek, 2006; Orsini, 2005). The purpose of this study was to compare s with SDGs, including information about their work settings, how these new RNs feel about their jobs, and their intention to stay in their current job. Our analysis uses data from the first wave of a large panel study of all new graduates. Methods We used a cross-sectional design with a mailed survey from a larger longitudinal panel design study for this analysis. Sample The sample included newly licensed registered nurses (NLRNs) from 60 geographic regions in 35 states (Alabama, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin) and Washington, DC. The NLRNs had been licensed from 5 to 18 months prior to responding to the survey. The sampling frames were obtained from each state's board of nursing in these states and Washington, DC. Initially eligible respondents (n = 3,391) returned completed surveys for a response rate of 58% using the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) standard response rate #3; AAPOR, 2004). For this analysis, we were able to add additional 138 cases resulting in the response rate of 58% (n = 3,391) rather than the 56% reported earlier for the original study (Kovner et al., in press). From this sample, 89.7% of the SDGs worked in hospitals, and 94% of the s worked in hospitals and were selected for this study.

4 8 BREWER ET AL Table 2. Work Attitudes of NLRNs (n = 953; Continuous Variables) Scale Definition and Example Job satisfaction Employee's general affective (adapted from reaction to the job without Quinn & reference to any specific job Staines, 1979) facet, e.g., How satisfied 5 questions as would you say you are with listed below the job you now have? Variety (Gurney, Mueller, & Price, Autonomy Supervisory support Workgroup cohesion Distributive justice Promotional opportunities Procedural justice (Fields, 2002) Organizational commitment (Price, 2001) Organizational constraints (Spector & Jex, 1998) Quantitative workload (Spector & Jex, 1998) Degree to which job performance is repetitive, e.g., How much variety is there in your job? Degree to which employees control their job performance, e.g., To what extent are you able to act independently of your immediate supervisor in performing your job? Degree to which supervisor supports and encourages employee, e.g., Pays attention to what I am saying Degree to which employees have friends in their immediate work environment, e.g., Are individuals in your workgroup friendly? Degree to which the an employee's rewards are related to his or her performance inputs into the organization, e.g., To what extent are you fairly rewarded considering the responsibilities that you have? Degree to which career structures within an organization are available to its employees, e.g., Promotions are regular Degree to which rights are applied universally to all employees, e.g., People involved in implementing decisions have a say in making the decisions Loyalty of employees to their employers, e.g., I think that my present employer is a great organization to work for Degree to which situations or things interfere employees' job performance, e.g., How often do you find it difficult or impossible to do your job because of organizational rules and procedures? Amount of performance required in a job, e.g., Does your job require you to work very fast? # Possible Range 1=Very dissatisfied 7=Very satisfied 1=none at all to 5=a great deal 1=none at all to 5=a great deal 1=not at all to 5=to a very great extent 1=not at all to 5=to a very great extent 1=not at all to 5=to a very great extent 5=strongly 5=strongly 5=strongly 1=never to 6=5 or more days per week 1=never to 6=5 or more days per week α SDG n =309 M (SD) n = (1.65) (0.72) (0.70) (0.99) (0.83) (0.87) (0.85) (0.79) (0.80) (0.89) (1.10) M (SD) (1.54) (0.68) (0.73) (0.96) (0.73) (0.85) (0.79) t(df) = value t(947) = t(945) = 0.57 t(944) = (0.75) t(948) = (0.75) (0.86) (0.97) 1.64 t(947) = P

5 A COMPARISON OF SECOND-DEGREE BACCALAUREATE AND TRADITIONAL-BACCALAUREATE NEW GRADUATE RNs 9 Table 2. (Continued) Scale Mentor support Collegial RN MD relations (Lake, 2002) Definition and Example Degree of adequacy of access to an appropriate experienced professional to sponsorship, protectorship, and professional benefactorship, e.g., How often does someone at your workplace show you how to work successfully within the organization? Relationship between nurses and physicians, e.g., Physicians and nurses have good working relationships Possible Range 1=never to 5=very often 4=strongly α SDG n =309 M (SD) n = (0.84) (0.63) M (SD) (0.81) (0.62) t(df) = value t(948) = 1.75 t(945) = 0.42 Scale item How similar are the tasks you perform in a typical working day? dropped. Scale item How much are you left on your own to do your work dropped. Scale item Easy to approach dropped. Scale item Do you trust individuals in your workgroup? dropped. Scale item There is an opportunity for advancement dropped. Scale items poor equipment or supplies, other employees, and inadequate training dropped. Response item edited for logical consistency. # Scale item How often is there a great deal to be done? dropped. Response item edited for logical consistency. Scale item Listens to your ideas dropped. P For the study reported here, we selected two groups: s who had a baccalaureate degree in nursing and no other academic degree or diploma and SDGs who had both a baccalaureate degree in nursing and a baccalaureate or higher degree in a field other than nursing. From the sample of 3,391 valid NLRN respondents, we removed 521 (including 94 missing) who did not work in hospitals, 1,694 who were not baccalaureate prepared (diploma = 98 and associate = 1,596), 6 s who had Master's or doctorates in nursing, and 184 with missing data on part-time (PT)/full-time (FT) status or education resulting in a final sample of 953. Although it is possible that a respondent graduated from a nonnursing undergraduate or graduate program after earning a baccalaureate in nursing, that is very unlikely because all respondents were licensed within the 18 months prior to completing the survey. Variables of Interest The study is based on a model of turnover (Price, 2001). Price has developed and tested a model of turnover in which work attitudes (Tables 1 and 2) are hypothesized to predict satisfaction, organizational commitment, intent to leave, and ultimately, turnover. His model also includes job opportunities. We collected data on work setting characteristics to provide descriptive data about a national representative sample of NLRN. Based on this model, we asked NLRNs questions about four areas: (a) RN characteristics (e.g., gender, marital status, and positive affectivity); (b) work setting (e.g., unit and setting); (c) attitudes about work (intent to stay, search behavior, satisfaction, organizational commitment, variety, supervisory support, workgroup cohesion, distributive justice, promotional opportunities, procedural justice, organizational constraints, quantitative workload, mentor support, RN physician relations, family work and work family conflict, work motivation, and autonomy); and (d) perceived local and nonlocal job opportunities. If respondents were not working, we asked about their reasons for not working. In this study, all scales had Cronbach alpha scores of.80 or greater (with the exception of promotional opportunities, autonomy, and variety, which had alphas between.67 and.79) indicating adequate to excellent reliability. Principal components analysis showed that all scales loaded on the appropriate factors (Tables 1 3). Data Collection Data were collected using a 16-page survey that was professionally printed in in. booklet format. Survey questions focused on where the RNs worked or work now. We used the Dillman Tailored Design method (Dillman, 2000), which included multiple mailings to nonresponders. There was an alert letter, a survey that included a $5 incentive, a reminder postcard, an additional survey, and finally a survey via U.S. Postal Service next day mail. Results Some respondents did not provide answers to all questions; thus, the sample size varied across variables. RN Characteristics SDGs were more likely to be male, non-white (with twice as many Asian RNs), married, and have children living at home as compared with s (Table 4). Married SDGs were more likely to have higher spousal income and were about 8 years older on average (Table 5). SDGs were less likely to have had an extern experience or speak English

6 10 BREWER ET AL Table 3. Work Plans of Working NLRNs (n = 953) Scale Intent to stay (Price, 2001) Local job opportunity (Price, 2001) Nonlocal job opportunity (Price, 2001) Search behavior (Price, 2001) Definition and Example Degree of positive affect that an individual has toward the idea of voluntarily leaving the employ of an organization, e.g., I would like to leave my present employer Likelihood of obtaining jobs in local area as good, worse, or better than current job, e.g., How easy or difficult would it be for you to find a job with another employer in the local job market in which you work on live that is as good as theoneyouhavenow? Likelihood of obtaining jobs in nonlocal area as good, worse, or better than current job, e.g., How easy or difficult would it be for you to find a job with another employer outside the local job market in which you work on live that is as good as the one you have now? Degree to which employees are looking for other jobs Possible Range 5=strongly 1=very difficult to 6=very easy 1=very difficult to 6=very easy 5=strongly α SDG n = 309 M (SD) n = 691 M (SD) (1.01) (1.23) (1.31) (0.41) (0.97) (1.23) (1.32) (0.43) t(df) = value t(947) = 0.94 t(943) = 0.26 t(937) = 0.36 t(946) = 0.36 Altered response scale from not easy at all to very difficult, not very easy to quite difficult, and added somewhat difficult. P as a first language. There was no difference in their health status. SDGs reported higher positive affectivity and lower negative affectivity. There was no difference in the number of times each group took the NCLEX. Work Setting SDGs were more likely to have prior work experience outside health care and less likely to have work experience in health care when compared with (Table 4). s were more likely to work full time and have a job that required an RN license than as compared with SDGs. There was a small significant difference in the number of hours more that s actually worked. There was no difference in the months worked, the number of jobs they had had since graduating, overtime worked, work setting, type of unit, type of shift, schedule, whether the hospital was a magnet hospital or unionized, benefits or paid time off (Tables 5 and 6). s were also somewhat more likely to provide direct care than SDGs: SDGs were more often in management or other positions. SDGs were more likely to indicate that they planned to stay indefinitely and were less uncertain of how long they planned to stay than s. Of the traditional graduates, 628 (92%) worked full time, and 53 (8%) worked part-time; whereas in the seconddegree group, 246 (90%) worked full time, and 26 (10%) worked part-time. s earned about $1,600 less than SDGs in mean income and $4,500 if the median income is reported ($50,000 for SDGs vs. $45,500 for s). The SDG mean income difference widens to $2,731 when PT graduates are removed. All comparisons were significantly different except for FT s and PT s 1. Attitudes and Job Opportunities There were few differences between the SDGs and s in their work attitudes (Tables 2 and 3). SDGs reported slightly higher family work conflict and lower workgroup cohesion. There were no differences in their intent to stay at their current job, search behavior to look for a new position, their perceptions of promotional opportunity, their work motivation, or perceptions of local and nonlocal job opportunities. Discussion A variety of motivations induce people to enter nursing after earning a nonnursing baccalaureate degree. Educators often comment on how different these RNs seem (AACN, 2005). However, are these differences real? In addition, will any difference that exist translate into either RNs who will stay in their jobs longer, be more satisfied, or contribute to patient care or the nursing profession in ways that are significantly different from conventionally educated baccalaureate RNs? Like Bentley 1 We tested whether FT and PT incomes were different: FT SDGs = $49,823 (SD= $10,291), FT s = $47,092 (SD= $10,006), PT SDGs = $34,366 (SD = $15,039), and PT s = $44,243 (SD = $13,786). The PT incomes had small samples (SDGs, n = 24; s, n = 51) and large SD, thus should be interpreted with caution.

8 12 BREWER ET AL Table 6. Work Setting Characteristics of NLRNs (n = 953); Categorical Variables Variable Response Options SDG (n = 309) (n = 691) Chi-square (df, t ratio) = P Type of work setting Academic or medical center (3, 5.98) =.11 Community teaching hospital Nonteaching hospital Other Orientation: supervised with patients No (1, 6.98) =.008 Yes Orientation: organizational policies No (1, 6.54) =.01 and procedures Yes Unit spent most of the working time Intensive care bed unit (10, 8.88) =.54 Step-down transitional bed unit General/Special unit Operating room Postanesthesia recovery unit Labor/Delivery room Emergency department Physician's office Outpatient department Nonclinical nurse setting Other Job title Position: manager (2, 10.09) =.007 Position: direct care Position: other Magnet group Nonmagnet zip code (1, 0.41) =.52 Magnet zip code Belong to a union Yes (1, 1.42) =.23 No Type of shift 8-Hour shifts (4, 3.38) = Hour shifts Hour shifts Flexible schedule Other Work schedule Day (3, 3.56) =.31 Evening Night Rotating Importance of benefits Not important at all (3, 8.07) =.04 Not very important Somewhat important Very important RN benefit: paid time off No (1, 0.69) =.40 Yes RN benefit: medical insurance No (1, 1.07) =.30 Yes (2006), we found no difference in the number of times it took them to pass the NCLEX, but in other ways, the SDG and are somewhat different. Demographically, our findings support those of Wu and Connelly (1992; SDGs, n = 234) and Vinal and Whitman (1994; SDGs, n = 17). The SDGs are older, which may also explain why a higher proportion are married and have children. The SDGs' age may also explain the higher income of their spouses, although it is possible that one of the reasons they were able to pursue the second-baccalaureate degree is that they have a relatively high spousal income. What is quite striking is that the proportion of SDG Asian RNs is more than double the proportion for s, and the proportion of male RNs is almost triple. Others have also found that accelerated RNs were more diverse than s in race, culture, and gender (Cangelosi & Whitt, 2005). Sheil and Wassem (1994) reported that salaries and employment were major motivations in career choice for SDG RNs. If men and Asians hold cultural values that value steady employment and money, this may explain the higher proportion from these two groups; work motivation per se is not different between the SDG and groups, although it could vary within these gender and ethnic subgroups. SDGs report more family work conflict than s, which fits with their family circumstances. Possibly, these older SDGs are intent on developing their careers and may have more difficulty balancing their personal and professional lives in the early stages of their careers, particularly the 12-hour shifts, evening, and rotating

9 A COMPARISON OF SECOND-DEGREE BACCALAUREATE AND TRADITIONAL-BACCALAUREATE NEW GRADUATE RNs 13 shifts commonly worked by the NLRNs. However, differences in shifts were not significant between the two groups. A striking difference between these two groups is the basic difference in affectivity. SDG NLRNs are a more optimistically inclined group. This difference may be the source of some of the intrinsic differences perceived by faculty during school (AACN, 2005). In addition, although there was no difference in the intent to leave their current job or their reported search for new jobs, SDGs were less likely to plan to leave in a year and more likely to plan to stay longer in their first job than were s, resulting in almost half as many SDGs being indefinite about their plans to stay in their first job. The SDGs' plan is consistent with a more mature life phase with its attendant economic realities (Table 4). As noted, FT SDGs earned over $2,700 more income. Although these SDGs are somewhat older, age alone should not explain why SDGs have higher incomes than s, as they are all starting as new RNs. SDGs actually worked a slightly smaller number of hours, and there was no difference in overtime hours or type of shifts worked. These wage differences may reflect where each group works. SDGs are more likely to work in academic medical centers, which may pay higher wages. SDGs may be more common in urban areas where these programs are available, so higher urban wages may also explain the higher wages for SDGs. On the other hand, s are more likely to work in higher paying intensive care units but still do notmakeasmuchassdgsdo. Newschwander (1988) found that employers rated accelerated degree students (n = 137) significantly higher in planning, evaluation, interpersonal relations, and communication. We suggest that these SDGs bring human capital in the form of other types of education and work experience. The human capital explanation may also explain why these nurses are attracted to more management and other positions so early in their careers. Organizations may more quickly promote them into positions that pay higher wages. On the other hand, alternative possible explanations for higher incomes are that SDGs worked in unionized or magnet hospitals, but our data show no difference. Rising wages under shortage conditions attract students into nursing programs as the wage available becomes very competitive with other career choices (Ehrenberg & Smith, 2002). Other benefits may also be important. Only workgroup cohesion was significant and lower among SDGs. New graduates are typically looking for support in the period after graduation, consistent with their need to have strong clinical undergraduate preparation with minimal fluff or busy work and high expectations of faculty (Cangelosi, 2007). SDGs, who often have job experience and are older, may have social support systems already established and find workgroup cohesion to be less necessary. Thus, we do not know if SDGs experience less workgroup cohesion because they do not need it and do not seek it out, or because, in fact, their work settings are less cohesive. Although we reported significant differences based on the conventional.05 significance level, it may be that significance at the.10 level should be considered. For example, by these criteria SDGs have a lower organizational commitment and lower mentor support. Lower mentor support is consistent with the lower proportion of SDGs who experienced orientation that included supervised patient care and orientation on policies and procedures. However, this may also be age related, as SDGs who are older and have more work experience may be less likely to seek out a mentor, although given the skill development expected of NLRNs, this seems unlikely. If anything, some work experience might give SDGs an appreciation of the value of a mentor. An SDG's work motivation is also marginally significant and lower. Thus, we have found that many of the demographic differences between SDGs and s are consistent with the few quantitative studies that exist (Cangelosi & Whitt, 2005; Vinal & Whitman, 1994; Wu & Connelly, 1992). In addition, this study is the first to examine attitudinal differences, including a difference in the planned length of stay in first job. Fears that the high expectations of these graduates result in greater reality shock when they start work and turnover have not been tested. So far, there is no evidence to think this will happen, but in the second wave of our data, we will be able to test this hypothesis. Limitations Response bias is a concern with mailed surveys. Although 58% response rate is very good for a mailed survey, it is possible that responders were systematically different from nonresponders. Because we did not have data about whether SDGs attended an accelerated program, it is not clear how much of the differences are a reflection of accelerated programs and how much are a reflection of second-degree graduates in general. Respondent-administered surveys raise the question of the validity of the responses. Although there is no reason to believe that participants were not truthful in their responses is a possibility. Conclusions SDGs are an interesting group for the nursing workforce. They seem to have high potential for contributing to the profession and patient care if the conventional wisdom is believed. This is the first indication that in fact there are some significant differences between SDGs and s. Future research includes examining the implications of the cultural diversity of second-degree nursing students versus traditional counterparts and whether SDGs remain in nursing or transition to yet another career (Cangelosi & Whitt, 2005). Future research will contribute to understanding what impact these RNs will have on the workforce and profession. References Almada, P., Carafoli, K., Flattery, J. B., French, D. A., & McNamara, M. (2004). Improving the retention rate of newly

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